EFL Teaching Recipes » comparatives

Bragging rights!

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 03:05:10 +0000

Everyone loves to brag, so this lesson recipe works every time with a variety of levels and ages. It also allows students to use their own “lexicon” and thus practice producing language rather than just “acquiring”. It really helps fluency.

Write on the board: My …… is …….er / more ….. than your…..!

So what! / Big deal ! / Who cares!

Ask students to make a statement using the target language or the teacher make the statement. It is good to start this with “My father is …..er than your father. The teacher / student responds with Big deal! etc. Students will catch on. Use pictures to prompt the language if not starting with father.

Have fun. Practice enough with the whole class so they get used to the bragging language.

Finally, put students in groups and give them some flashcards, a mixture of vocabulary. I just cut out pictures into small squares and make a pile for each group. In turns, one picks up a card and slaps it down making a statement – “My (watch) is more (expensive) than your (watch). The next student replies with Big Deal etc…. and then picks up a card and slaps it down bragging in return. Keep going…your students will be producing some great, creative language!

Have fun bragging!

This post was submitted by David .

Who would win – Mighty Mouse or Superman?

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 11:34:48 +0000

In the movie Stand by Me, there is a scene where the boys debate who would win in a fight, Mighty Mouse or Superman.

This inspired me to do the following lesson:

All that you need for this is a stack of index cards, each with the name of possible combatant written on it. For example: samurai, tiger, battleship, pro-wrestler, ninja. Make at least 30 or 40 cards. Mes English also has some cool superhero cards www.mes-english.com/flashcards/supers.php
Also these Eigomon (Pokemon like) cards. www.mes-english.com/games/eigomon.php

Shuffle the cards and choose two, then ask your students who would win a fight between the two combatants named. The idea here is to get your students talking and, if possible, speculating. Ask them why they think this or that fighter would win. Is he / she stronger, larger, or faster, than the vanquished foe?

As always, its good to add a few comedy entries in the list of fighters. How about Tom Cruise vs. a chicken? Godzilla vs. Madonna? Mike Tyson vs. an army tank? You can also add the names of students–this always gets a laugh, and can cause animated debates among your kids.

The great thing about this format is that it can always be randomized, simply by re-shuffling the deck.

This post was submitted by David.